Curate, connect, and discover
Not only that! It was proven that the people who lived there were middle class people, with good jobs and great communities. The area was even multicultural and people of different races attended school and church together, which was unheard of anywhere else in America at the time! But the upper class of Manhatten still wanted their park. VOX made a super informative video on the subject, which I recomend everyone to watch:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HdsWYOZ8iqM
Seneca Village. Ever heard of it? Probably not, because now it’s known as Central Park. 200 some odd years ago, freed African American slaves FINALLY got land of their own. They built schools, churches, parks for children, and it was quite the thriving little community. Until it was bulldozed. Houses destroyed, community ripped to shreds, churches/schools demolished. To make a park. How I never learned about this ridiculous shit in school is beyond me.